Welcome to the 18th annual Bates College Store "Good Reads" list!
Eighteen years already?! We invite you to browse and enjoy. We hope you'll find the perfect
summer reading on this list. As always, we are eager to hear your thoughts!
Receiving 3 or more recommendations on the 18th annual list!
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The Bully Pulpit by Doris Kearns Goodwin
The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout, '77
Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
Remedy by Thomas Goetz, '90
Submissions are listed alphabetically by surname of the submitter. The submitter's name is
italicized at the end of each submission. In an effort to conserve paper, we have condensed the
list with very little regard for design or spacing! We apologize for overcrowding, typographical
errors or other misrepresentations.
Our annual thanks to our friends in Office Services for co-sponsoring this effort and getting the list
into booklet format with blazing speed.
Compiled and edited (well, tossed together, really) by Sarah Potter, Bookstore Director 5/14
Craigbridge Hall, Book 1 by Chad Morris
This is a great book to read with or to a 7 to maybe 11 year old. It's Harry Potter-esque, about a
pair of twins (one boy, one girl) who go to their grandfather's special school, where his inventions
allow them to witness history (things like the sinking of the Titanic). There's a bit of a mystery, a
bit of a message, and some good fun. Not worth reading as an adult (it's pretty predictable), but it
would be fun with a kid.
Philomena by Martin Sixsmith
This was recently made into a movie (which I did not see). It is about the trafficking of the children
of unwed mothers from a convent in Ireland to American families looking to adopt Irish children. I
understand that the movie focuses on the mother's journey to find her son, while the book is
written from the son's point of view. It was a sad tale with lots of complications. I'm not sure I
LIKED it, but it was worth reading.
The Eighty Dollar Champion by Elizabeth Letts
This is the story of a Pennsylvania plow horse who was rescued (not a moment too soon) from
the knacker's truck and how he became the world jumping champion in the 1950s. Harry de
Leyer was a Dutch immigrant and horse trainer who was looking for a horse of his own to take to
the top. Harry arrived late at an auction, where this big white horse had not been sold and was
among those being loaded to go to the slaughter house. In a moment of weakness and
remarkable intuition, Harry bought the horse. Harry's children named the horse "Snowman", and
quickly made the tolerant, gentle beast part of the family. Not thinking that a big old plow horse
could ever be a champion jumper, Harry brought Snowman along to be a dependable mount and
tried to sell the horse - who kept running home. Harry finally got the message and resigned to
keep Snowman as a lesson horse, much to his children's delight. The rest is horse history. If you
like stories in which the underdog wins, and the love between a person and animal brings you to
tears, this one is for you.
The Remedy by Thomas Goetz
This delightful book by our own Thomas Goetz ’90 pushes every one of my “what I want in a
book” buttons. History? Check. Suspense? Check. Bad guys? Check – very small bad
guys. Heroes? Check. Microbiology? (OK, this is my geek button) Check plus! Even Sherlock
Holmes. Does it get any better than Sherlock??
I expected to be interested in this book (it is, after all, what I do). But I didn’t expect to LOVE it,
and I really did. Written in a very accessible style, the book conveys the incredible work of the
“Germ Hunters” of the 1800’s and early 1900’s, to whom we owe the revelation that bacteria
cause diseases. It also skillfully weaves in the state of medicine at the time, through the story of
Arthur Conan Doyle. How he came up with Sherlock Holmes has everything to do with his
appreciation for the “new” scientific method being proposed by the likes of (the very French) Louis
Pasteur and (the very German) Robert Koch. Who would have thought it possible to put the rise
of the Petri plate and the resurrection of Sherlock Holmes in one book and make it all fit
together? Bravo, Thomas!
Lee Abrahamsen, Associate Professor of Biology
Here is my list. The last isn't scheduled to be released until May, but that should coincide with
the release of the list.
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt—The Goldfinch is likely on many peoples’ summer reading list
after Tartt won the fiction Pulitzer, and it is well worth the time. This story of Theo Decker, whose
mother is killed and life is changed by an explosion in an art gallery, intertwines the past and
present with the world of rare antiques and art.
The Collector of Dying Breaths by M.J. Rose—Rene de Florentin is an orphan raised in a
monastery and taught the art and science of perfumery. He becomes the perfumer to Catherine
de Medici, where murder is also part of his job description. This story moves between the past
and the present, exploring reincarnation and reanimation of the souls of the dead.
Bittersweet by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore—Plain and poor, Mabel Dagmar is a scholarship
student at an elite East Coast college. She is befriended by wealthy, beautiful Genevra Winslow,
and invited to spend the summer at Bittersweet, the Winslow family Vermont estate, where Mabel
discovers that wealth and power is the perfect camouflage for evil.
Becky Albitz, Associate College Librarian for Collection Management
Latin: Story of a World Language. Jurgen Leonhardt.
Improbable beach-read, I know, but really enthralling if you're interested in the confluence of
language, literature, and history.
Lucky Jim. Kingsley Amis.
Still one of the best campus comedies.
Martin Andrucki, Professor of Theater
Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914 by Christopher Clark. Appropriate reading
given that WWI began 100 years ago this year.
Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking: A Memoir of Food and Longing by Anya von Bremzen.
A wonderful read on food in the Soviet Union.
The Mortal Sea: Fishing in the Atlantic in the Age of Sail by W. Jeffrey Bolster. Centers on the
long history of human impact on the oceans. Timely reading as we continue to impact oceans.
Áslaug Ásgeirsdóttir, Associate Professor of Politics
My favorite was Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter. I loved the characters (and they are
characters), loved the settings, and the ending was wonderful.
Also would recommend The Emerald Mile by Kevin Fedarko. This is about going down the
Grand Canyon in dory boats. We did this in 2012, with some of the guides mentioned in the book.
We had high water, and the book focuses on the highest water ever and the near failure of Glen
Canyon dam that led to it. Fedarko really captures what the dory boats and life on the River are
like.
Cheers! It's great to have time now to read!!
Pam Baker, Helen A. Papaioanou Professor of Biological Sciences
I really like most of Ken Follett's stuff. Having read only about 2/3 of his books, I'd like to
recommend Pillars of the Earth, and World Without End. Both are fairly lengthy and though
they take place a couple hundred years apart, they kind of go together.
Peter Beach, Professional Machinist - Physics
The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri
The Psychopath Test by Jon Rosen
Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela
Catching the Big Fish by David Lynch
The Pema Chodron Audio Collection
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
Rachel Boggia, Assistant Professor of Dance
Horse Heaven by Jane Smiley
There’s a section in Horse Heaven, a great and funny book of fiction about horse racing (training,
owning, riding and what it might be like to be a horse), about one trainer’s “Tibetan Book of
Thoroughbred Training,” which comprises six rules (below). In my experience as a racehorse
owner — a sport where it’s soooo tempting to “hanker” for a better outcome or to bemoan
misfortune— the Tibetan rules are splendid.
1. Do not pay attention or investigate; leave your mind in its own sphere.
2. Do not see any fault anywhere.
3. Do not take anything to heart.
4. Do not hanker after signs of progress.
5. Although this may be called inattention, do not fall prey to laziness.
6. Be in a state of constant inspection.
Jay Burns, editor, Bates Magazine
The best book I've read in recent years is Chad Harbach's The Art of Fielding. It's not very
obscure, but I thought it was excellent.
Jonathan J. Cavallero, Assistant Professor of Rhetoric
On my reading list is Savage Harvest: A Tale of Cannibals, Colonialism, and Michael
Rockefeller's Tragic Quest for Primitive Art by Carl Hoffman. I find Hoffman's voice very
compelling and am curious how the argument shapes up against the larger narrative (I already
know how it ends -- or, rather, begins -- but I won't give it away :)
Raluca Cernahoschi, Assistant Professor of German
Divergent by Veronica Roth
The Fault in Our Stars
Jo Nesbo's crime novels featuring Harry Hole
The Flavia de Luce mysteries by Alan Bradley
Anita Charles, Lecturer/Director of Secondary Teacher Education
Jacob Hacker, Paul Pierson: Winner-Take-All Politics
It’s all about how awful elected politicians are—not all but many!
Mark C. Elliott: The Manchu Way
Fascinating.
John Eliot Gardiner, Bach: Music in the Castle of Heaven
This is on my to-be-read list.
John Corrie, Music Lecturer
The Dirty Life: A Memoir of Farming, Food, and Love by Kristin
Kimball
This was incredible fun to read - Big city journalist falls in love
with a farmer and goes off to upstate New York. Kimball has a
gift for description and the book is as much about finding a
community as it is about farming.
Jon Mooallem, Wild Ones: A Sometimes Dismaying, Weirdly Reassuring Story About
Looking at People Looking at Animals in America
Mooallem's account of three different species: polar bears, butterflies and whooping
cranes. This is a book about extinction, but it's also a book about the amazing efforts of various
groups to protect and in some cases restore disappearing populations. Mooallem is often
hilarious. Very worth reading.
And for my "Literatures of Agriculture" course this past semester, we read short stories by Ron
Dash and Annie Proulx - from the latter's collection Bad Dirt the story "What Furniture would
Jesus Pick" was a particular favorite.
Enjoy!
Jane Costlow, Clark A. Griffiths Professor of Environmental Studies
Fiction:
Headhunters by Jo Nesbo - troubles abound for a corporate headhunter who moonlights as an
art thief. A dark and twisted story by the highly acclaimed Norwegian author.
Bel Canto by Anne Patchett - about a collection of party-goers, including an opera star, held
hostage by a group of terrorists.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - about a teenage girl with terminal cancer who falls in
love with a boy she meets at a cancer support group. A wonderfully told story. Don't let the
cancer theme prevent you from reading. Don't wait for the movie.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - set in Nazi Germany during WWII, the story is about her love
of books and the relationships with her foster parents, some of the townsfolk, the Jew hiding in
the basement. Narrated by Death.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer - about a boy in NYC coping
with the loss of his father after 9/11 while he searches for the lock that fits a key he found in his
father's belongings.
Ghostman by Roger Hobbs - pure escapist fiction about a (criminal) fixer brought in to clean up
the messy aftermath of a heist gone wrong. It's dark, but also a non-stop thrill ride.
The Survivor by Gregg Hurwitz - more escapist fiction about a former soldier with PTSD who's
suicide attempt is interrupted by a bank robbery. He stops the robbery but his reward is to be
kidnapped by the Ukranian mobster who masterminded the robbery.
Non-fiction:
The Skies Belong to Us: Love and Terror in the Golden Age of Hijacking by Brendan
Koerner - about spate of plane hijackings that took place in the late 60s and early
70s. Fascinating.
Spy the Lie: Former CIA Officers Teach You How to Detect Deception by Houston, Floyd, et
al. - title says it all.
Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing - the harrowing story of the
survival of the expedition members from Ernest Shackleton's failed attempt at a transcontinental
crossing of Antarctica
Grace Coulombe, Director, Math and Statistics Workshop
The Fever Tree by Jennifer McVeigh – “The Fever Tree is a compelling portrait of colonial South
Africa, its raw beauty and deprivation alive in equal measure. But above all it is a love story about
how—just when we need it most—fear can blind us to the truth."
Any Bitter Thing by Monica Wood
I liked it, set in Maine, some twists and turns to the plot line.
Currently reading Palisades Park by Alan Brennert which is a simple but engaging story about
the famous Palisades Park in NJ. The reader is brought back to the years 1925 to about
1975. The author calls Palisades Park "a love letter to a cherished part of my childhood".
Karen P. Daigler, M.A.,Senior Associate Director for Graduate and Professional School
Advising, Bates Career Development Center
Stoner by John Williams. Not what you think. Rather, as Tom Hanks commented (yes, that Tom
Hanks): "It’s simply a novel about a guy who goes to college and becomes a teacher. But it’s one
of the most fascinating things that you’ve ever come across."
David Das, Assistant Director of Off-campus Studies
The Bully Pulpit by Doris Kearns Goodwin- lengthy but well written book about the political
careers of Teddy Roosevelt and William Howard Taft and how they intertwined.
Police by Jo Nesbo- excellent Norwegian crime novel by one of the best.
The Ghosts of Guilt by Michael Connolly- LA murder, mayhem, corruption, and intrigue. Great
read.
Light in the World- James Lee Burke. Wonderful, fast moving murder mystery.
Jerry Davis, Class of 1961
A Permanent Member of the Family, by Russell Banks (2013)
This is a collection of short stories, most of which are tragic, melancholy, or mildly disturbing in
one way or another. The strongest of them sort of wash over you, and you need to put the book
down and just process for a little while before you can start the next story. They're certainly not
all great -- some are too predictable or trite or contrived -- but there are a couple of real gems
here, too.
Don Dearborn, Professor of Biology
My Beloved World, Sonia Sotomayor
Strength in What Remains, Tracy Kidder
Crossing to Safety, Wallace Stegner
Far from the Tree, Andrew Soloman
State of Wonder, Ann Patchett
The Invention of Wings, Sue Monk Kidd
Marty Deschaines, Assistant Director - HCCP
My book of choice:
Ice Ages: Solving the Mystery by Imbrie and Imbrie
Perhaps it's a target audience, but I think it is well written, provides an interesting history of how
ice age theory came to be and provides some of the big questions of today. If you are looking for
something newer, try:
Fixing Climate by Broecker and Kunzig
OH! I just thought, if you can include maps on this summer reading list, add the Downeast Ice
Age Trail map (copies in the book store), that I would recommend above the others as it is fun,
clear, informative, and you can use it as a wall decoration!
Alice Doughty, Geology Lecturer
Capital in the Twenty-first Century by Thomas Piketty
“In a review, Krugman, who appeared on Moyers & Company last week, called the book
magnificent, adding: “The big idea of Capital in the Twenty-First Century is that we haven’t just
gone back to 19th century levels of income inequality, we’re also on a path back to ‘patrimonial
capitalism,’ in which the commanding heights of the economy are controlled not by talented
individuals but by family dynasties.”
Glenn Dudley, Desktop Support Technician, ILS
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children -- Probably one of the most unusual books I've
read in a long time. It was originally intended to be a children's/young adult book, and that is
obvious from some of the plot, but it still kept me engaged. Plus, it incorporates really cool, old,
vernacular photographs, which is what hooked me and made me buy the book, which sets a
wonderfully eerie tone for the entire story.
Susan Dunning, Gift Planning Associate – Office of College Advancement
I loved NoViolet Bulawayo's new novel (perhaps a collection of inter-related short stories?)
called We Need New Names, following a young Zimbabwean from her girlhood among
community in Harare to her coming of age in Detroit. Perhaps the tone of the book can be
captured with this minor moment: In a chapter heading Darling, the protagonist, denotes the
latter as 'Destroyed, Michigan'. The author manages to capture a genuine fresh voice as our
young protagonist struggles to make sense of her disrupted world.
Elizabeth Eames, Associate Professor of Anthropology
This is a little different recommendation as it is a blog. diseasediary.wordpress.com or google Dis
Ease Diary. The author is my brother-in-law, Bruce Kramer, now a former Dean and educator at
St. Thomas College in Minneapolis, so I am close to his situation. This blog began in March,
2011 and you can go back and read the blog from the beginning. It is a journey of a man who
had been recently diagnosed with ALS and his telling of the lessons learned through his Dis
Ease. With ALS he is living an accelerated life, and he is learning to live with Dis Ease rather
than to try and fight against it. Some of the stories and lessons are painful, others joyful but all
are thoughtful and cause me to reflect and think about my own Dis Ease.
Ken Emerson, Associate Director of Human Resources
Unexplained Forest by Eleanor Morse, Maine Author
Anyone who makes the most out of the unexpected things that happen to us, will enjoy this book.
Eleanor does a really good job of character building and the interweaving of people's lives.
The Girl Who Came Home - A Titanic Novel by Hazle Gaynor
Hazle weaves the past and the present so well in this novel. I loved the ending.
The Outermost House - A Year of Life on the Great Outer Beach of Cape Cod by Henry
Beston
Love how he writes about nature. Cape Cod is calling me.
John Muir - Rediscovering America, A Biography by Fredrick Turner
I wish I could have met John Muir. He was so passionate about our Wild Planet and so against
the sheer abuse (clear cutting, mining, etc) for Money. Some of his own writings are included in
the book.
Madeline's Ghost by Robert Girardi
Love story, Ghost story and Mystery all rolled into one. Takes place in Brooklyn NY and New
Orleans.
Historical Novel - A Daughter of Frances Martin by Virginia Chute, Biology Professor Emeritus,
Robert Chute's wife
Hard to get into at first, it is written in Old English (1600's). Very enlightening book on the 1640's
in New England and the Puritan faith.
Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbreg
This book should be read by every woman. It can be read one chapter at a time.
Melinda Emerson, Purchasing, Sales and Accounting Specialist, ILS
With the death of Nelson Mandela earlier this year, I was moved to read an old classic, Cry, the
Beloved Country, by Alan Paton, and I recommend it highly.
Holly Ewing, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies
I urge all to read the poetry of Nobel-Prize-winning Bates honorary degree recipient Seamus
Heaney, who died last September. A good place to begin is with Opened Ground: Selected
Poems 1966-1996.
Rob Farnsworth, Senior Lecturer - English
A few faves, not all brand new:
Shop Class as Soulcraft by Matthew B. Crawford
Paris Stories by Mavis Gallant
Just Kids by Patti Smith
Philanthrocapitalism by Mathew Bishop and Michael Green
When the Crocodile Eats the Sun by Peter Godwin
Twenty Chickens for a Saddle by Robyn Scott
Happy reading!
Laura Faure, Director, Bates Dance Festival
The King's Grave, by Philippa Langley and Michael Jones: a riveting
first-person account of the archaeological dig in Leicester, England
which found the remains of Richard III last summer. His burial
location had been a mystery for the last five hundred years!
Lois Griffiths, Alumna and Retiree
W. Jeffrey Bolster, The Mortal Sea: Fishing the Atlantic in the Age of Sail (2012). I
recommend this in part because I need to finish reading it myself. What I remember so far: a
marvelous combination of social, technological, and environmental history: Why were there so
many "sea serpents" off Marblehead in the early 1800s? And what does that tell us about fishing?
His answer depends on all three perspectives. What I also remember: a useful warning about the
challenges of regulating an ecosystem that we cannot see.
Joe Hall, Associate Professor of History
John Cole suggested I read Nicholas Meyer's The Seven-Percent Solution, a very light sort of
reading. I have not read it yet but sent for a copy from Amazon.com. Why not something fun for a
change. Apparently there is a movie version with Lawrence Olivier et al.
Atsuko Hirai, Kazushige Hirasawa Professor Emerita of History
Joel Harrington, The Faithful Executioner: Life and Death, Honor and Shame in the
Turbulent Sixteenth Century. OK, part of me is also surprised to include a book about a
16th century German executioner as one of my “good reads.” But if you can deal with a few
details not for the squeamish (torture was commonly used to speed along confessions, and
corpses of the executed were often strung up outside city walls to be eaten by birds, as a public
reminder of the wages of sin), this very well-written book of history uses one man as proxy for
much of what was happening all over Europe at the time. The executioner inherited his post from
his father, and spent his entire lifetime trying to free his family from the shame of the profession,
ultimately succeeding: he was voted a citizen of Nuremberg, and his son became a physician. All
over Europe, states were slowly forming around kings rather than regional warlords--think of
Henry VIII and Elizabeth I establishing their authority against both feudal nobles and the
Pope. People were sorting out, albeit messily, how to be a citizen instead of a serf, how to
change their social and professional status, and that of their children. Even in the rough justice
of that time, with many more capital crimes in part because there were scant prison options,
some of the punishments were logical. Forgery, for example, was a capital crime in part because
the early national states were just beginning to establish their authority to issue a reliable
currency. So this executioner, complete with 5’ beheading sword, is a kind of 16th century
equivalent of the Better Business Bureau, and he played his part faithfully, keeping a meticulous
journal for decades that is the basis of the book. Yes, an odd topic, but a quite admirable book
of history, scholarly, wide-ranging but personal.
Jonathan Parshall and Anthony Tully, Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of
Midway. I confess to more than a passing interest in the Battle of Midway, as my father’s cousin,
Raymond Spruance, commanded one of the two American task forces at this battle, the turning
point in the Pacific war. The Japanese came out with four carriers, and lost them all in a few
hours. There are several previous well-done books on Midway, but Shattered Sword is
monumental, partly for the painstaking research, and partly for presenting the battle from the
Japanese side. It corrects some long-held major errors about the battle, and is elegantly written,
which cannot be said of all military history. Not an evening’s read at 640 pages, but very
satisfying.
Ruth Reichl, Tender to the Bone: Growing up at the Table. Ruth Reichl is the food editor of
the New York Times, so you would expect the autobiographical account of her childhood and
early adult years to involve good food. It does, but is also very funny and painfully
touching. Reichl’s mother was bi-polar in the years before lithium, and made the lives of her
family members unpredictable, to put it mildly. Reichl fled into one off-kilter adventure after
another, trying to put space between herself and her mother, and food often ends up being the
salve and savior of an otherwise bizarre outcome. Most chapters end with a recipe. Not your
grandmother’s cookbook, for sure, but a wonderful read.
Milton Osborne, The Mekong: Turbulent Past, Uncertain
Future. The Mekong runs from a source high in Nepal through
eight countries to end in the Delta of southern Vietnam. Largely
impassible for long stretches through mountains and huge rapids, it
fascinated both South Asians and especially the French, who hoped
the Mekong might provide a trade route to interior China. It was
never tamed for trade, played a major part in South Asian political
struggles, and now is the subject of bitter national feuds as China
builds massive power dams across it. Carefully written, with the
personal disasters of various explorers, and covering centuries of
the river’s history. A fine account, it is one of 16 books on the
Mekong listed on Amazon.
Will Schwalbe, The End of Your Life Book Club. A tender account by her son Will of the last
two years of life with Mary Anne Schwalbe as she died of pancreatic cancer. Both Mary Anne
and her son Will were voluminous and skilled readers, she as a former director of Admissions at
Harvard and he as a publishing executive. As she gets progressively more ill, they form their own
two-person book club, sometimes discussing a book in the waiting rooms at Sloan-Kettering, and
we see her values through the lens of her reactions to the various books.
James Holland, Dam Busters: the True Story of the Inventors and Airmen Who Led the
Devasting Raid to Smash the German Dams in 1943. The RAF “bouncing bombs” breached
two of Nazi Germany’s major hydro dams with major destruction to war manufacturing and
transport up to 50 miles downstream. In one of the greatest flying feats in history, 4-engine
heavy bombers flying at night with only 60’ of altitude would drop an 8000-pound spinning
cylindrical bomb so that it would skip across the top of the water over torpedo nets up to the dam.
David Halberstam, The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War. Not a quick read at
650 pages, but like The Best and the Brightest, his well-known book on America’s experience in
Vietnam, a masterful piece of journalistic history, listening to people and telling their stories
around the larger setting of political and military issues. Halberstam wrote 21 books, and was
killed in a car accident less than a week after turning in the final typescript of this book.
Bill Hiss, Class of ’66, Retired
Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts
Power Play by Danielle Steele
Joan Houston, Administrative Assistant-Facility Services
Tune In: The Beatles: All These Years
By Mark Lewisohn
944 pp.
Crown Archetype, Oct. 29, 2013
The first of three volumes in Mark Lewisohn's definitive Beatles biography, Tune In is the best
pop-music history I've read in years, or ever. Starting with their family histories decades before
John, Paul, George and Ringo were born, Lewisohn brings the reader right up to the end of 1962
and the brink of Beatlemania. The subject matter is fascinating, and Lewisohn's style even more
so. He combines obsessive focus on historical detail with a supple musical knowledge and a
narrative urgency that propels the reader right through this nearly 1,000-page book. A lifelong
Beatles fan, I was surprised and intrigued by much of what I learned, including the facts of the
fractured and impoverished social setting that produced the Fab Four.
Doug Hubley, College Writer - Bates Communications Office
Big Data by Mayer-Schonberger/Cukier - The social scientists in our group thought it was
intuitively obvious to the most casual observer. The less numerically inclined thought it was a
good overview and introduction to the topic.
Capital of the Mind by James Buchan - This book is a wonderful introduction to Scottish
Enlightenment, and for me and surprising road into the profound impact Scots, as settlers,
churchmen and politicians played in the American revolution. Very accessible.
The Black Count by Tom Reiss - Alex Dumas was the father of the writer, Alexandre Dumas,
who wrote The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers and the grandfather of the
writer, Alexandre Dumas, who wrote the novel on which Verdi based his opera, La Traviata. The
book is best described as a swashbuckling biography. Alex Dumas was an extraordinary man
whose father was a disreputable French aristocrat and whose mother was an African slave in
Haiti. Dumas was an unusually talented soldier and begin the general in charge of Napoleon's
cavalry. An extraordinary man in extraordinary times, he is even more intriguing a figure than
Edmund Dantes.
Margaret Imber, Associate Professor of Classical and Medieval Studies
All Our Names by Dinaw Mengestu and The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout
Two unforgettable books that explore themes about family, relationships, immigration, and
politics.
Phyllis Graber Jensen, Director of Photography and Video, BCO
My own (non-work-related) summer reading includes Jared Diamond's The World Until
Yesterday: What Can We Learn from Traditional Societies? and Pema Chodron's Living
Beautifully with Uncertainty and Change. I'd also recommend Douglas Tallamy's Bringing
Nature Home:How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants.
Lea Johnson, Biology
Harry Sidebottom, Fire in the East--a rip-roaring historical novel about the conflict between the
Roman and Persian empires in the third century.
Michael Jones, Professor of History and Classical and Medieval Studies
Luminaries by Eleanor Catton
A remarkable story, a thriller, really, but you are more actively drawn up into the setting and
characters of the New Zealand gold rush era of the mid-nineteenth century by Dickensesque
descriptions.
Poldark by Winston Graham
Yes, that's right...in preparation for an upcoming trip to Cornwall, we read the first two volumes of
this series with delight, Ross Poldark and Demelsa, and little comparison to the cheaply-filmed,
romantically-contrived BBC production some of us might remember.
That Old Ace in the Hole by Annie Proulx
All I could think is that she must have chuckled herself through the writing and weaving of this
odd and amazing story of the panhandle area where the land is one of the major characters in the
book.
Laura Juraska, Assistant College Librarian for Research Services
I'm sure I'll be joining many others on the list when I recommend Liz Strout's ('77) The Burgess
Boys. Another alum-authored book I really enjoyed this year is Thomas Goetz's ('90) The
Remedy: Robert Koch, Arthur Conan Doyle and the Quest to Cure Tuberculosis. Once I
finished it, I quickly started sharing it with various relatives who are history buffs and science
lovers, and it has much to offer anyone who's interested in medicine, public health or detective
fiction too. On our summer vacation last year, one of my college-age kids insisted that I read Eric
Larson's In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin,
and though I usually prefer fiction on summer vacation this was a very engaging read. I also want
to recommend an intriguing edited collection that I reviewed for an academic outlet, which should
be appealing in lots of ways to folks in their 40s or older (and also interesting to anyone who likes
to think about gender and childhood): When We Were Free to Be: Looking Back at a
Children's Classic and the Difference it Made. It was edited by two historians, Lori Rotskoff
and Laura Lovett, and includes a very eclectic set of selections by celebrities and activists and
gender studies academic types (historians, social scientists, etc).
Emily Kane, Professor of Sociology
Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend, by Matthew Dicks. This book is so creative, and told in the
most believable way. In this case, the imaginary friend, "Budo", is the narrator, and the author
has written him in a way that makes you question constantly whether or not he really is a figment
of a 4 year old's active imagination. The book is a quest for belief, love, and a child's
unwillingness to let go of a part of himself even in the most desperate of situations. A surprise of
a book but such a good read.
The Orchardist, by Amanda Coplin. A hauntingly beautiful book set in the rural Pacific Northwest
that captures your attention with the descriptive landscape and the slow expression of detail that
the author uses to describe each character, of which there are not many, and the land itself can
probably be described as the main one. It's also a story of unconventional families and the beauty
of opening ones solitary heart to let in worlds of unknowns, only to find the true power of love and
compassion.
The Language of Flowers, by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. Who knew flowers could tell such a story?
The Victorian language of flowers was used to convey expressions of love and romance...this
book uses flowers to depict fragility and vulnerability of the human spirit. Told elegantly by
dipping into the past and the present, the reader is taken on a journey that at times is
heartbreaking, yet hopeful and always poignant. A random booksale find, I really enjoyed it.
The Outside Boy, by Jeanine Cummings. Probably my favorite book of the year. This story takes
the reader to the world of Irish gypsy's in the 1950s, also known as 'tinkers'. It's a quest for truth
about the heritage and family of a young boy, Christy, who is searching to discover his true self
among familial secrets and the struggle to figure out what and where home is. From the
beginning, you'll root for Christy and will hold your breath until the truths are finally revealed.
Me Before You, by Jojo Moyes. You know the kind of book that from the first page, has you
obsessed and wanting to spend every free moment curled up somewhere inhaling it? This is that
book. It's not necessarily the best book, nor the most well-written, or even the most original
story. But there's an 'it' factor here that will have you completely absorbed, late into the night,
dying to find out how it ends, and when it does, racks you with sobs and leaves you utterly
breathless. This is a book that did not leave my mind for several days after. If you were to read
the jacket of this, it sounds light and sort of fluffy, and while there are those elements on the
surface, the underlying messages are political, thought-provoking and wrenching. A perfect
summer book.
Alison Keegan, Admin. Assistant and Supervisor of Academic Administrative Services
Here are some good reads (and not-so-good reads) that I've experienced this year:
Speak to the Winds by Ruth Moore -- This is the first book that I've read by Ruth Moore, a Maine
writer. It's a story of the development of a Maine island and the generations of families who
nurtured the community and, ultimately, nurtured feuds and divisions that threatened the island's
future. Her characters are true-to-life and her descriptions of the island, landscape and seascape
are wonderful. Now, if only I can find one of those "I Read Ruth Moore" bumperstickers!
When We Were the Kennedys by Monica Wood -- I'm so glad that this book was chosen as the
"community read" for the first-years. It was a sweet, touching book that celebrates place and
family.
Runaway by Alice Munro -- It took the Nobel Prize Committee to introduce me to Alice Munro
and I am grateful. The first story in the collection took my breath away. She is able to draw vivid
characters and situations, making every single word count. I'm looking forward to reading more of
Alice Munro.
The Round House by Louise Erdrich -- I enjoyed reading Erdrich's The Master Butchers
Singing Club several years ago and this book didn't disappoint. Set 30 years or so ago, it
recounts a horrible crime and how a teenage boy takes it upon himself to find the perpetrator,
when the traditional investigation and prosecution resources fail because of conflicting tribal,
local, and federal laws.
Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver -- Although I'm a big fan of Barbara Kingsolver's previous
books, I couldn't finish this one. Although the subject matter is important, the characters didn't
resonate with me.
Margo Knight, Director of Advancement Research
I've been reading a lot of science fiction recently, with my favorite this year being Downbelow
Station by C.J. Cherryh (1981).
Nancy Koven, Associate Professor of Psychology/Neuroscience
I read and really enjoyed
Above All Things by Tanis Rideout
and
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
Lynne Lewis, Elmer W. Campbell Professor of Economics
At first I thought it was about endings, but as author Kate Atkinson drew me into her latest, Life
After Life, I realized it is about beginning. The beginning of the same person over and over leads
to different lives, and changes other lives and even history in this novel. Prepare to have your
own narrative fade as Atkinson takes charge. Begin in 1910 … and then begin again and again.
A student browsing in the bookstore recommended Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
Ifemelu leaves Nigeria to study in the U.S. and stays for 15 years, writing a blog addressing race,
ideology, politics, and region in America. Adichie carves this novel so skillfully, not asking us to
read between the lines or marching on with pages of dogma, instead showing us the issues on a
personal level. When Ifemelu returns to Nigeria, she and her country have changed, and she
discovers what remains of the core of each. A remarkable book and thank you to the student for
the recommendation!
Rebecca Lovett, Assistant Manager – Bates College Store
Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain
Ben Fountain's remarkable debut novel - a razor-sharp satire set in Texas during America's war
in Iraq, it explores the gaping national disconnect between the war at home and the war abroad.
Bill Low, Curator – Museum of Art
Hmmm. I'm going to reveal myself as a reader of British mysteries. A long time addict. I always
like a good Elizabeth George, and her latest was terrific, One Evil Act. Read the whole series,
however. Deborah Crombie is similar. Barbara Pym, Colin Dexter and Ngaio Marsh are all must
reads. And then there's always Dorothy Sayers and Josephine Tey. Wonderful escapist
reading. A newer fast paced read is Donna Tartt's, The Goldfinch.
This year I read Strout's new book, The Burgess Boys, and liked it, as well as
Powers' Orfeo. Everyone should read Wilkerson's, The Warmth of Other Suns. I also am just
finishing Bunker Hill, by Philbrick. A good read if you're interested in Boston/New England
history.
Kathy Low, Associate Dean of the Faculty, Professor of Pscyhology
The Gentrification of the Mind: Witness to a Lost Imagination by Sarah Schulman
The Chronology of Water by Lidia Yuknavitch
Scent and Subversion: Decoding a Century of Provocative Perfume by Barbara Herman
Treading Air by Jaan Kross
The Summer Book by Tove Jansson
Venice - A New History by Thomas Madden
Three Lives: A Biography of Stefan Zweig by Oliver Matuschek
Human Landscapes from my Country: An Epic Novel in Verse by Nâzim Hikmet
Degenerate Art: The Attack on Modern Art in Nazi Germany by Olaf Peters
Year of the Hare by Arto Paasilinna
My Life In Middlemarch by Rebecca Mead
A Tale for the Time Being Ruth Ozeki
Perrin Lumbert, Library Assistant, Interlibrary Loan
Faced with the very real possibility of abandoning all work just so I can comb through my Good
Reads lists and select ALL my favorites, I'll list just a few here:
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M.
Valente: Ostensibly for younger readers this book has a timelessness reminiscent of Alice's
Adventures in Wonderland not to mention Valente's trademark vocabulary and rich imagery.
Plenty of fun for older readers plus she's a local author (from away) who lives on Peaks Island off
the coast of Portland (and also she's a friend!)
Lisey's Story by Stephen King: If you don't have a King book on the list yet, this is the one I
recommend to everyone. It's a fantastic story for all readers--not just Horror fans. I certainly don't
read Horrror but LOVED this.
Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link: A short story collection that uses magical realism to explore
what it means to be human--with beautiful writing and quirky humor.
Jennifer Lyford, Admission Specialist, Receptionist and Application Support
Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger
It is the summer of 1961 in New Bremen, Minnesota and young boy recounts the events of a
series of deaths, each under different circumstances – accident, suicide, murder. It was a
compelling book that I could not put down. It recently won the Edgar Award which is the Oscar of
mystery writing.
How the Light Gets In by Louise Penney
This is the latest in a long mystery series set in Quebec. You can read this as a stand alone and
then go back to the beginning if you like the book. She is my favorite author, and this book will
not disappoint!
Mary Main, Assistant Vice President, Human Resources and Environmental Health and Safety
Loyalty. Ingrid Thoft. Thoft’s first novel introduces Fina Ludlow, a tough, smart young woman
working in her family’s Boston law practice after dropping out of law school. Her father and
brothers run the firm, but Fina serves as PI, investigating routine insurance claims. As she gets
involved in the disappearance of her sister-in-law, and unearths more and more family secrets,
she begins to remind me more and more of a Bostonian Lisbeth Salander. Lots of intriguing
questions for her to solve; not only the core mystery, but what is “loyalty?” To whom? To
what? Looking forward to the next in the series, Identity.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Rebecca Skloot. I could not put it down. First, the basic
information about the origin of cells used since the 1950’s to enable so much valuable research
(all new to me as a non-biologist), but even more importantly, the ethical and cultural issues
behind the treatment of the donor, a young black woman who died of cervical cancer in 1951,
never knowing that some of the tumor cells removed would thrive in laboratory conditions and be
instrumental in polio, cancer, and virus research to this day. Skloot works with Lacks’ children
and other relatives to create an intimate portrait of the woman whose cells continue make so
much research possible. She explores questions of privacy, compensation, racial discrimination,
family relations, and simple friendship, with sensitivity and compassion.
White Fire. Preston and Child. Great read for a hot summer day—the snow and chills will cool
you off! It’s a complex tale set in a Colorado ski resort/former mining town, featuring FBI Special
Agent and his protégée as the crime solvers—sort of. Arson, bears, old bones, mysterious
deaths: all the important components of a good thriller. A bonus is the clue from a long-lost
Sherlock Holmes story, woven into stories from the town’s history.
Judy Marden, ’66 (and retiree)
I recommend Haruki Murakami's 1Q84
Maggie Maurer-Fazio, Betty Doran Stangle Professor of Applied Economics
This past year was spent mostly reading textbooks or books that were suggested in last year's
Good Reads listing. I was very impressed with one of the books required for my current course:
Mandela: An Illustrated Autobiography, by Nelson Mandela. An excerpt from the book's
cover description says it best: "tells the extraordinary story of Nelson Mandela's life, an epic of
struggle, setback, renewed hope, and ultimate triumph. . .With nearly 200 stunning photographs many of them published here for the first time - and with text from his remarkable memoir, Long
Walk to Freedom, this book captures the indomitable spirit of a moral giant..."
I also enjoyed the book, I Always Loved You, written by Robin Oliveira, author of My Name is
Mary Sutter, (a summer read for BOPN [Bates Office Professional Network] members). Her
story centers on the life of American painter, Mary Cassatt, as she worked to develop and
establish herself in Paris as an accomplished painter during the late 1800s. Through Mary's
perspective, the reader is able to share the trials and successes of artists such as Berthe Morisot,
Edouard Manet, Camille Pissarro, and Claude Monet; including her tempestuous relationship with
Edgar Degas.
I liked the book because the author is adept with period story-telling and incorporating historical
references to mannerisms and practices of Parisians during an unsettled period in history.
Monica McCusker, Office Coordinator - Bates College Store & Contract Office
Here are a few I have recently read and would recommend.
Hoosh, Jason Anthony
Roast penguin, scurvy day, and other stories of Antarctic cuisine. Anthony spent eight seasons in
Antarctica and chronicles the importance of food in expeditions (Amundsen, Scott) and many
others. Written in a very humorous way by a Maine author (Bristol, ME).
Seaworthy, Linda Greenlaw
A swordboat captain returns to the sea. Highlights the importance of teamwork and picking the
right team, critical on a small boat but relevant to any organization. Linda Greenlaw was featured
in Sebastian Junger's book The Perfect Storm and lives on Isle of Haut.
The Circle, Dave Eggers
Interesting tale of a recent graduate who finds a job at an internet company in the not too distant
future. Explores how social media and metrics can become all-consuming and the challenges that
are inherent in a data driven world.
David McDonough, Director Bates Career Development Center
The Cross Gardener by Jason Wright
I liked this book so much that I read it twice!
Deb McLaggan, Sales Floor Supervisor, Bookstore
The Man Who Became Caravaggio by Peter Robb. A wonderful rendering of the awful life of
Caravaggio. I learned some art criticism, some Italian history and had my eyes opened to the
amazing talent of a grisly individual.
The Marcus Didius Faco series of detective novels by Lindsey Davis - fun light fare that provide
an introduction to imperial Rome's local geography interlaced with rather anachronistic mysteries
for those who like such.
Poor Economics by Esther Duflo and Abhijeet Banerjee. An enlightening and easy introduction
to what economists are learning from randomized experiments about successful strategies to
ameliorate some of poverty's consequences around the world.
Michael Murray, Charles Franklin Phillips Professor of Economics
I'm catching up on popular American entertainment history this summer. Here's my summer
reading list already loaded onto my Kindle:
Sam Wasson's Fosse. Bob Fosse was one of my favorite choreographers. Also, he directed two
of my all-time favorite musicals--Cabaret and All That Jazz. And, of course, he choreographed
Liza With a Z!
Harry Belafonte, My Song, a Memoir of Art, Race, and Defiance. He was unforgettable in the
movies Carmen Jones and Buck and the Preacher. I still listen to the Porgy and Bess recording
he made with Lena Horne. He seemed to blend art and politics perfectly.
John Franceschina, Hermes Pan: The Man Who Danced With Fred Astaire. He was Astaire's
dancing partner (dream job!) and he choreographed "The Carioca" sequence in Flying Down to
Rio.
Terry Teachout, Duke: A Life of Duke Ellington. I just can't get enough of knowing about
Ellington and his lifelong collaboration with Billy Strayhorn. They made great music together.
David Itzkoff, Mad as Hell: The Making of Network and the Fateful Vision of the Angriest
Man in Movies. I'm so looking forward to knowing more about one of the most memorable
movies of the 1970s.
Harry Bushkin: Johnny Carson. It promises to be a gossip fest. I can barely wait to get to this
one.
Charles Nero, Professor of Rhetoric and American Cultural Studies
I recommend The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Yes, it may nominally be a young-adult
novel; I stumbled upon it while vetting books for my precocious-reader 8-year-old, and while
quickly ascertaining that the subject matter wasn't quite age-appropriate for him, I was
immediately drawn into the book like I hadn't been by an "adult" novel in a long time. Read the
book before the film (possibly much cheesier?) comes out this summer.
And lest I out myself as someone who reads too many "kids' books"…
I also recommend Wonder by R.J. Palacio, appropriate for reading by or with your children (ages
8 or so and up). Moving and funny, you'll find yourself talking with your kids (or musing yourself)
about difference in ways that get outside cliché.
Hillory Oakes, Director of Writing, Director of Student Collaborative Learning
TransAtlantic, by Colum McCann, an intricately constructed novel of interconnections between
Ireland and North America, told first through the eyes of famous travelling men of great
consequence like Frederick Douglas and George Mitchell, but then interwoven and enriched
through the stories of several generations of smart and self-possessed women. The story (and
history itself?) is really about these mothers and daughters: behind every famous man on the
world stage are many anonymous women, living out significant lives in the microcosmic trenches
of family, community, country.
Amsterdam: A History of the World's Most Liberal City, by Russell Shorto, an interesting
Dutch-o-centric book about the role of Amsterdam and the Netherlands from the middle ages to
the modern day, focusing on the way the city's grounding in tolerance and individualism paved
the way for global commerce, capitalism, exploration and exploitation, imperialism, Enlightenment
thinking, Nazi collaboration and resistance, multiculturalism, and, logically, legalized pot and sex
work.
In the graphic books department I heartily recommend Theories of Everything and The Party,
After You Left, by Roz Chast. Funniest person ever. Luckily this New Yorker cartoonist really
does have a theory – and understanding – of everything, so if you need to literally laugh out loud
after a long day at the College, these are the volumes you need!
Kerry O’Brien, Assistant Dean of the Faculty
Kate Atkinson, Life After Life
This is an utterly original, beautifully written novel. A one-sentence plot summary from Amazon's
review says it best: "In a radical departure from her Jackson Brodie mystery series, Atkinson
delivers a wildly inventive novel about Ursula Todd, born in 1910 and doomed to die and be
reborn over and over again." That's the conceit but doesn't begin to do the philosophical and
artistic sophistication of this novel justice. Some readers I know love the book overall but
bemoan the ultimate triumph of "magical thinking"--the idea that our hard-won hindsight might be
put to use as helpful foresight. Personally, the book's exploration of what it could mean should
life provide one with a "do-over" (over and over again) is a beautiful lie I was more than happy to
entertain for 500-odd pages.
Eden Osucha, Assistant Professor, Department of English
Jhumpa Lahiri, The Lowland.
Jim Parakilas, James L. Mood, Jr. Family Professor of Performing Arts
It's my memory. I need to start writing down what I read. I 'm pretty sure I liked the ones I
remember...
I'm currently reading Don Delillo's 1997 novel Underworld, which I am really enjoying. It weaves
in stories of the characters and the eras from the 50's to the 80's. It's interesting to me after
reading his 9/11 novel Falling Man several years ago.
Also finally read Water for Elelphants: A Novel by Sara Gruen and The Kite Runner by Khaled
Hosseini.
An Inconvenient Wife / Megan Chance (2009), Love by Drowning
/ C. E. Poverman (2013)
Carole Parker, Ladd Library Acquisitions
Just finished Kindred by Octavia Butler. An excellently written sci-fi novel about a modern era
black women who gets transported back to the antebellum south and is made into a slave. The
novel won every sci fi award that there is!
Joe Pelliccia, Professor Emeritus of Biology
The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky
I’ve liked this book throughout my life.
I loved the first two books of The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins. I am reading the
third book in the series now and it’s more difficult to get through.
Karen Peters, Catalog Librarian
Historical Fiction
Arundel by Kenneth Roberts; not sure how I missed this in high school. Takes us back to a time
when survival was not always a simple matter
Always fascinated with the Arthurian legend, I found some different interpretations, some more
researched than others:
In Avalon, Stephen Lawhead brings the legend into modern times with some interesting twists.
Lawhead also wrote Patrick which is an entertaining exploration of how St. Patrick may have
emerged.
Bernard Cornwell embellishes his Arthurian research findings in a series which includes The
Winter King, Enemy of God and Excalibur. I enjoy Cornwell’s writing and his disclaimers and
explanations of how he interprets and stretches the facts.
Cornwell also wrote Sword Song which occurs in the British Isles when Christianity was gaining
a foothold. He presents an interesting speculation on how the conflict with pagan beliefs may
have played out in the events of the time.
Imperium by Robert Harris is a novelized version of the life of the orator Cicero. It’s interesting to
think about how unchanged politics is or whether Harris was simply projecting current political
behavior on early politicians.
Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani takes place in 17th century Persia. The main character is
a young Persian woman who experiences hardship, love, angst and a passion for rugmaking. It’s a cleverly “woven” tale…enlightening and touching.
Mystery
I’m not usually a reader of mystery and I struggled with the main character in Paul Doiron’s series
about a newly minted Maine Game Warden. But when I listened to Doiron, during last year’s
Staff Enrichment Week book talk, explaining his purpose in beginning a tale of an imperfect youth
and revealing his growth and maturing character as the series progresses it made the series
more intriguing.
Thrill/Adventure
I’m a long - time fan of Matthew Reilly and enjoyed Scarecrow Returns. Fast paced, intense,
hard to put down
NON-FICTION
Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose is a detailed account of Merriwether Lewis and the
Lewis and Clark expedition. This country owes so much to men like these who risked their lives
to confront nature, other cultures and scores of unknowns to blaze a path across America and
back. This is a wonderful history lesson.
After a phenomenal trip to Utah and Arizona:
Beyond the Hundredth Meridian by Wallace Stegner tells of the life, education, character and
strength of will of John Wesley Powell, a one armed Civil War veteran who lead the first trip
through the Grand Canyon and went on to develop the US Geological Survey and catalog native
American tribes.
Architect of the Southwest: Mary Colter by Arnold Berke and Alexander
Vertikoff provides details of the life and works of a remarkable woman in the 19th century who
designed five buildings in the Grand Canyon National Park and made numerous other
contributions to buildings commissioned by the Fred Harvey Company during the heyday of the
railroad in the southwest. Fascinating reading and great photos.
Other Good Reads
The Universe Within by Neil Shubin. From the Big Bang to the present
Edison & The Electric Chair: a story of light and death by Mark Essig; grimly fascinating
What Einstein Told His Cook byRobert Wolke; fun kitchen science
The Animal Dialogues by Craig Childs: here’s a man who clearly loves nature, has a profound
curiosity and an amazing knack for putting himself in dangerous places with wild and dangerous
animals
Why We Make Things and Why It Matters by Peter Korn; Korn is the founder of the Center for
Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockland, Maine. He has written a very philosophical memoir of his
life journey.
Ray Potter, Environmental Health and Safety Manager
Trees in Prose and Poetry by Gertrude Lincoln Stone and Mary Grace Fickett
This little gem was originally published in 1902 by Ginn and Co., Boston. The “compilers” were
connected in some way to the Gorham (Maine) Normal School, now USM and were both Maine
women. The collection includes poems by Longfellow and prose by Thoreau and was often
recommended as a good teaching tool for elementary school students.
Patrick Ness: The Crane Wife
This novel, based on a Japanese folk tale, is a magical and beautifully crafted story of love and
loss--and a good summer read.
And at Lee Abrahamsen’s urging, I read Ken Follett’s Pillars of the Earth. Truly a sweeping
novel that was impossible to put down. A rigorous dip into history, the compelling clash between
good and evil, the enormity of cathedral building—this and so much more make for a great read!
Sarah Potter, Bookstore Director
Out of Nowhere (2013) by Maria Padian. Fiction about local high school students (and a student
from barely disguised Bates) using Lewiston Somali issues from a few years ago to show some of
the impact. Colleague Heather Lindkvist worked in Lewiston to help old and new residents
understand each other.
Death and Love in the Holocaust: The Story of Sonja and Kurt Messerschmidt (2012)
by Steve Hochstadt. Our former colleague Steve has pulled together the story of the survival
and long and remarkable life of a couple who ended up in Portland, Maine.
My Beloved World (2013) by Sonia Sotomayor. Her optimistic autobiography on growing up in
New York City and what affirmative action did to pull her into new worlds where her work ethic
and brilliance led her to unexpected places including the Supreme Court.
Gilead (2004) by Marilynne Robinson. A fascinating fictional long letter by an older minister with
heart trouble written in the mid 1950s to his young son. The letter is autobiographical, going back
to the late 1800s, while providing advice and good wishes, knowing he won't see his son grow
into adulthood.
The Memory Chalet (2010) by Tony Judt. Episodes from his life that he is remembering as his
body is shutting down from ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). Judt is a wonderful and informative
writer and it continues in this collection of stories.
The Men who United the States: America’s explorers, inventors, eccentrics, and
mavericks, and the creation of one nation, indivisible (2013) by Simon Winchester. One of
my favorite writers. He traces the ways that the United States was tied together over time starting
with the Lewis and Clark expedition with some emphasis on what made these events and
journeys possible. Rivers, boats, canals, roads, radio, television, computers and the
internet. You'll know the events, but the details are were new to me. [Winchester does explain
why the word men is in the title]
Jack Pribram (Professor Emeritus Physics)
Jared Diamond's The World Until Yesterday -an examination of the culture of traditional
societies (clans, tribes, chiefdoms) from around the world. He reviews various cultural aspects of
these societies including conflict resolution (surprisingly violent), child rearing, diet, treatment of
the elderly and multilingualism. He wrote Guns, Germs and Steel which I also found
interesting. I believe he's actually an ornithologist but clearly has a strong interest in
anthropology. Some folks (anthropologists) would say he should stick with birds but I still found
he findings interesting.
John Rasmussen, Energy Manager
It has been the year of biographies for me.
Evan Thomas, Ike's Bluff: President Eisenhower's Secret Battle to Save the World. Okay,
not great but I did not know much about Eisenhower's administration so worth the read.
Peter Baker, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House. Confirmed many of my
suspicions but provided a more complex view of W.
Michael Duffy and Nancy Gibbs, The President's Club: Inside the World's Most Exclusive
Fraternity. About former presidents; interesting idea for a book but mostly fluff. An easy and
quick read and glad I did.
Doris Kearns Goodwin, The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard taft and the
Golden Age of Journalism. I always like Goodwin's writing and this is no exception. An
interesting account of an important time in our history that has lessons for today.
Jill LePore, Book of Ages: The Life and Opinions of Jane Franklin. Wonderful, a must read.
Carl Bernsein, Woman in Charge: the Life of Hillary Rodham Clinton. Okay, glad I read it.
Dorothy Wickenden, Nothing Daunted: The Unexpected Education of Two Society Girls in
the West. Interesting account of two graduates of Smith (I think) who went west to find
adventure and love. Probably predictable but a fun and quick read.
Paula McLain, The Paris Wife. Story of Ernest Hemingway's First Wife. I liked this one very
much and it prompted me to reread Hemingway which was great.
Elizabeth Warren, A Fighting Chance. I liked it a lot. True, it seems to be a precursor to
something bigger - a run for the presidency perhaps? - but I am a Warren fan.
And now reading Karen Armstrong's, Jerusalem: One City: Three Faiths. Moving from people
to places and liking it a lot.
Jill Reich, Professor of Psychology
Sorry to keep you in suspense. Here is my favorite book for this year.
Author Stephenson, Tom (Musician)
Title The Warbler Guide / Tom Stephenson and Scott Whittle ; drawings by Catherine Hamilton
IMPRINT Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press, c2013
The Warbler Guide is the most useful book on bird identification I have ever had the pleasure to
use.
Julie Retelle, Assistant Librarian for Access Services
I've been listening to a lot of audiobooks this year. These I especially enjoyed:
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton. Just a really good read/listen...a mystery, lost identity,
true love. A young Australian woman recovering from a horrible loss finds that her grandmother
left her a small cottage in England in her will. When did she buy the cottage and why? Searching
for the answer leads the reader through the grandmother's life, and into the life of the woman who
owned the cottage originally. My husband enjoyed it, too.
The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. Harry Dresden, a wizard working and living in Chicago,
always tries to do the right thing by saving mankind from vampires, evil sorcerers, werewolves
and other bad otherworldly creatures. Naturally, this gets him into all sorts of trouble. Great
characters, great narration by James Marsters, and good stories makes me keep listening. I like
how there is good and evil, but also lots of grey - who (or what) really IS good or evil? I am now
on book #9 of 14. And I'm dreading reaching 14...
Two memorable books I read this year are:
The Black Count by Tom Reiss. Who knew that Alexandre Dumas' father, General Alex Dumas,
was the son of a Haitian slave and a French aristocrat, who rose to command armies during the
French Revolution and after? I didn't.
The Round House by Louise Erdrich. I always resist reading her books and I don't really know
why, because I always end up liking them. Beautifully written, lovely and somewhat sad story.
What is home, really? Our book group read this and then Transatlantic by Colum McCann,
which I enjoyed less but was an interesting contrast.
Stephanie Richards, Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology
Here's my nomination:
The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty
Mike Rocque, Assistant Professor of Sociology
Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls
Great book, I just passed it on to Monica.
Julie Rosenbach, Manager of Sustainability
I will put a plug out there for We Took to the Woods, by Louise Rich Dickenson.
Louise wrote the book in the early 1940's, after moving from MA to the western woods of Maine
to raise her family. As a Mainer, I found the book to be full of humor, history, and reminders of
how unique each of our respective daily lives are.
Unsure if it has been on the list before or recently. It certainly should be!
Kelsy V. Ross, Head Women's Soccer Coach
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
Bronwyn Sale, Lecturer in Education
EcoMind: Changing the Way We Think, to Create the World We Want
by Frances Moore Lappé
I heard Frances speak in the fall and recommended to my book group that we read this book. In
turn, I'm recommending it for the summer reading list:
The way we frame things, the language we use, makes a difference. This book enables me to
change the way I think and speak about climate change issues by showing that climate
change, food and concentrated wealth are related. It does this in a quite refreshing way--one
that allows me to see that my actions count.
Sharon Saunders, Associate College Librarian for Systems & Bibliographic Services
I recommend Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. First published by Random House in 2010, it is a
captivating story about the life and miraculous survival of bomber crew member shot down over
the Pacific during WWII. Read it before the movie comes out!
Stephen Sawyer, Associate Dean, Director Off-campus Study Program
Both recommended titles by John le Carré
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
So relevant these days!
Our Kind of Traitor
About Russian oligarchy. Le Carré is uncanny for knowing what is going on out there.
Chris Schiff, Music and Arts Librarian
My recommendation this year is E.B. White's On Dogs. I had never read many of his essays, and
found the humor, historical context and excellent writing to be a pleasure.
I also enjoyed The Big Year by Mark Obmascik.
Paula Schlax, Associate Professor of Chemistry
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
First of a three-book series, best of the fantasy genre.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
This one is in the style of Ray Bradbury.
Peter Schlax, Science and Data Librarian, ILS
My pick for this year is Carolyn Heilbrun's The Last Gift of Time: Life Beyond Sixty. When she
was young, Heilbrun vowed she would commit suicide before she turned 70. But in this book,
she extols the pleasures of her later years, and "to choose each day for now, to live." There are
ruminations on solitude, marriage, sex, friendship, and, of course, death. Her wit can be acerbic,
and there is an edge in many of her essays, but this only made the read more
provocative. Sometimes I resonated perfectly with her insights, and others I found quite
foreign. But I was never bored, and I savored the book like a good, dark
chocolate. Recommended for all ages and genders.
Bonnie Shulman, Professor Emerita of Mathematics
Einstein's Jewish Science: Physics at the Intersection of Politics and Religion (Steven
Gimbel, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2012)
In attempting to answer the question of whether Einstein's relativity theory is Jewish, this book
explores the notion that religion and worldview shape scientific discovery.
John Smedley, Professor of Physics
#1 all-time favorite book series is Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. This is primarily under the
historical fiction banner, with some fantasy (time travel) mixed in. Claire Randall is thrown back in
time from 1945 to 1743 through a cleft in a set of standing stones in the Scottish highlands. In her
attempts to return to her own time, she falls in love with a Scottish warrior and becomes
impossibly torn between this new love and her husband back in 1945. The writing and detail in
the novels is brilliant! Added bonus: the first book is being made into a cable series on Starz this
summer (a la Game of Thrones).
Courtney Sparks, Office Manager in Admission
Here is my offering:
The Last Unicorn
by Peter S. Beagle
I revisited The Last Unicorn recently and as an adult reader found so much more to enjoy and
wonder at. Many folks on campus will already be familiar with the story: It's a classic of the youth
fantasy genre that was published in 1968 and became an animated film (a classic in its own right)
in 1982. It follows the story of a unicorn who, believing she is the last of her kind, embarks on a
journey to find and rescue others like her from a mysterious menace known as the Red Bull.
What I find so appealing about The Last Unicorn is the way it simultaneously deconstructs and
pays homage to fairy tale -- particularly fairy tale as a vehicle for understanding adult and deeply
psychic questions. It works on a literary level that other popular youth stories like Harry Potter and
The Hunger Games never reach. It is a Damn Good Read.
Tory Stanton, Advancement Writer – Bates Communications Office
The Innocent by David Baldacci
11/22/63 by Stephen King
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
The Magicians by Lev Grossman
The Dresden Files Series by Jim Butcher
The Passage & The Twelve by Justin Cronin
City of Thieves by David Benioff
The Name of the Wind & The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss
Carl Steidel, Assistant Dean of Students
The Twelve by Justin Cronin
Fantasy, a little dated but a good read.
Sorry, Please, Thank-you: Stories by Charles Yu
This is a collection of sci fi/fantasy short stories.
Greg Struve, Manager Help Desk Services, ILS
The Time Traveler’s Guide to Medieval England by Ian Mortimer is a leisurely walking tour in
the fourteenth century to view the city and countryside, meet the sorts and conditions of people,
their customs, food, health, how they travel, how they play, how they go to law. It sharpens one’s
appetite for Mortimer’s next book – The Time Traveler’s Guide to Elizabethan England.
Books to Die For by John Connolly and Declan Burke brings together what are arguably the
world’s top mystery writers, each to choose and write about his or her own choice of the best
novel in the mystery literature.
The Remedy by Thomas Goetz is a meticulous, withal entertaining, account of the birth of
modern medicine in the germ theory of disease and the search for remedies based on that
theory. Along the way, we see the rivalry between the two protagonists – Louis Pasteur and
Robert Koch. We also learn about a third party who uses the rise of modern science to create a
literary character, more famous than all the rest: Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, the first
scientific detective. And if you need more background to Holmes’ scientific methods, you might
consider The Science of Sherlock Holmes by E. J. Wagner.
For sheer biographical brilliance, I recommend Jon Meacham’s Thomas Jefferson: The Art of
Power; for sheer rollicking entertainment, none better than Dan Brown’s Inferno; and for sheer
charm, wit, historical richness, and marital grace, Shuffelton’s The Letters of John and Abigail
Adams.
Books to be read:
Legacy by Susan Kay, an historical novel based on the life of Elizabeth I;
The Riddle of the Labyrinth by Margalit Fox, on the decipherment of Linear B;
The First American by H. W. Brands, a biography of Benjamin Franklin;
and, The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl in which Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Oliver Wendell
Holmes, James Russell Lowell, and J. T. Fields team up to stop a serial killer in Boston. Good
stuff.
Sawyer Sylvester, Professor of Sociology
I would suggest Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie- reading it now and am really into
it. Adichie also has two other notable books that are well worth the read: Purple
Hibiscus and Half the Yellow Sun.
Megan Taft, Assistant Dean-Intercultural Education
Don't know if this made the list already, but I recommend the 2013 edition of The Best American
Mystery Stories, Lisa Scottoline editor (Houghton, Mifflin, Harcourt, Boston MA ISBN 078-0-544034600).
Over 400 pages, but with 20 short stories by different authors, it's easy to take breaks
for a swim or whatever. Maybe not available yet used. Listed at $15 in soft cover. Those
interested in mystery genre would like it. Haven't sampled any of the others in this series (going
back to 1997), but if this one's any indication, they would probably be good too. (Do I get credit
for recommending 17 books?)
Bob Thomas, Professor of Biology
The Harmless People, by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas. As this book was written the 1950s and
was probably never a best seller, I was sure it would be out of print, but I’m happy to say that it is
still available. A quiet, powerfully moving account of the Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert in
southwest Africa (even the country names are different now). Thomas and her family spent two
years living among these nomadic people, taking the time to know and love them, and to give a
faithful account of a way of life now irretrievably gone.
The Smartest Kids in the World and How They Got That Way, by Amanda Ripley. A
provocative critique of American education by way of case studies of three high school exchange
students who spent a year studying in South Korea, Finland and Poland. In South Korea many
young people spend up to twelve hours a day in school, following up their normal public school
day with overtime at something called a “hagwon,” where the education police sometimes have to
bust these academies to keep the kids from staying there until 2 o’clock in the morning. Ripley
concludes that what is lacking in American education is “rigor,” but for me her most compelling
insight (not a revelation but well documented) is how poorly trained American teachers are, and
how often they are drawn from the lowest percentile of their college class. It’s a good read even if
you don’t agree with everything Ripley says.
Anne Thompson, Professor Emerita of English
No other book has filled my head with random, fascinating trivia like Mary Roach's Packing for
Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void. I actually listened to this one: I spend many
hours in the car, and I picked it up from the library in a rush--I was running late and just need
something to pass the time. But within the first minute, I was knee-deep in the many challenges
that exist at the intersection of NASA's hopes and human biology--something I had never thought
to consider, or thought to care about. The next 10 hours unfolded with one challenge after the
next, challenges of eating, of cleaning, of just existing. Along the way, I learned all sorts of other
things: that fish get car sick, that vexillology is the study of flags, and that body odor plateaus
after 7-10 days without bathing. I also gained a new--and very, very deeply felt--appreciation for
gravity. What more can you ask of a book?
Mara Tieken, Assistant Professor of Education
Americanah, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: A must read for anyone who's given even one
hair's worth of thought to race and feminism in transnational contexts. I have a sense that it is the
sort of book that will be reprinted 30 or 50 years from now with an apparatus of scholarly
endnotes, and deservedly so. But also, the narratorial voice is engaging and fun!
At Night We Walk in Circles, by Daniel Alarcón: So far the best novel I've read this calendar
year, and I've read many novels already: Imagine Kafka in Perú.
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, by Karen Joy Fowler: I consider this book to be
science fiction in the best sense, that is, a book in which science is taken seriously as a process
and an ethic governing how people live their lives.
The Hunter and Other Stories, by Dashiell Hammett: This book is a must-read for anyone who
cares about the form and history of the American short story. Whether or not it is a must-buy
depends on whether or not one is a Hammett completist. Anyone who is not can likely benefit
from it through the library of their choice. Several of the stories included would be refreshing if
they found their way into any of a number of contemporary anthologies.
Billy Moon, by Douglas Lain: What happens when a middle-aged Christopher Robin finds
himself in the Paris of May 1968, and quite in spite of himself carries with him the Hundred Acre
Wood as a space of utopian possibility? From a world-historical perspective, not much at all. As
every time traveler knows, the only way to avoid paradox is to leave things exactly as they were
to be, and as every historical materialist (in Walter Benjamin's sense) knows, history only became
history because the alternatives to it were already corpses in their own times. Yet in the tunneling
symbolic spaces between the real and the imaginary that can, with increasing anachronism, be
called a novel, everything happens, and the provisional name of that everything is Douglas
Lain's Billy Moon. This Lacanian diagram of a book is designed to confuse. Yet whereas
obscurity in theory is the symptom of the will to power, an attempt to obtain and secure mastery
through intellectual force and law, in literature it bespeaks an attempt to be realistic, not by
demanding the impossible, but simply by allowing it to be.
Love Is the Law, by Nick Mamatas: I'll confess, the author is a personal friend of mine. The
interview with him on my blog will either make you want to read the book immediately, or avoid it
completely: http://skinseller.blogspot.com/2013/10/love-is-law-interview-with-nick-mamatas.html.
There is no middle ground.
Falling Into the Fire: A Psychiatrist's Encounters with the Mind in Crisis, by Christine
Montross: This book falls into the subgenre of medical memoir. Its explanatory framework rests
heavily upon the Cartesian dualism of mind and body even as it describes syndromes and
disorders that call that distinction into question. And yet the anecdotes are told with a
fundamental empathy for the patients, such that even though the emphasis is on Montross's own
diagnostic and ethical conundrums, the basic fact of the patient's suffering never drifts from the
authorial gaze. In so doing, there is no trace of the narcissistic messianism of the healer, nor little
dwelling in the equally narcissistic morass of self-doubt. As such, the book provides a glimpse
into an extreme state of being human that otherwise could not be accessed, short of an in-patient
stay in a psychiatric ward. Reading this book is likely preferable to staying in a psychiatric ward--a
judgment that sounds like faint praise, but should be read instead as testament to Montross's
ability to convey authenticity of experience through her prose.
Vampires in the Lemon Grove, by Karen Russell: I would consider six of the eight stories in this
collection to be excellent. Russell is a master of intelligent fabulism, and in tone, mordant wit and
talent for telling misdirection the writing reminds me of Kit Reed.
The Internal Enemy: Slavery and War in Virginia, 1772-1832, by Alan Taylor. Rare is the
academic history book that is so compellingly readable: I finished its 400+ pages in about 4 days.
It moves seamlessly between the military history of the Chesapeake campaign in the War of
1812, the social history of the "slave neighborhoods" of adjoining estates, the stories of particular
slaveholding families who embody the contradictions of the early white man's republic,
commercial history of the tobacco market, and the high politics of states at war. It also changed
my mind about a historical episode--the War of 1812--about which I previously thought I had a
well-informed opinion.
Exit Zero: Family and Class in Postindustrial Chicago, by Christine J. Walley: This book is an
example of the sort of memoir that results when academics born into the working class use the
tools of their scholarly discipline to look back on their upbringing, while also using the experience
of that upbringing to critique the stereotyped images of working-class life prevalent in both
academic literature and popular culture. Pierre Bourdieu's Sketch for a Self-Analysis may be
the first example of such a work. Walley's book may be the first of its kind insofar as the author is
both American--the degree to which the discourse of class in the United States is stunted and
confused becomes clear through contrast to this book--and a white woman who is not the
daughter of immigrants--among the many confusions in U.S. class discourse, which Walley ably
takes apart, is its conflation with the dynamics of race and migration, and so it is that, what few
accounts there are of traversing the path from proletariat to professoriat become tales either of
assimilation or of the enduring power of racial-caste barriers within the precincts of privilege.
Joseph Tomaras, Associate Director, Office of External Grants
Here's one that probably appeared years ago, but that I just read: Margaret Atwood, The Year of
the Flood. Also, Hilary Mantel, Bring Up the Bodies-- the sequel to Wolf Hall. Both are old
news, I would guess.
Tom Tracy, Phillips professor of Religious Studies
The Funeral Dress by Susan Gregg Gilmore. Great read. It is set in 1960s and ’70s Appalachia,
yet feels both contemporary and old-fashioned. This timelessness lends a lovely, ethereal quality
to the novel even while showing the ever-present poverty in rural Tennessee. It is about a young
teen-aged girl who is a single mother and gets a job at the Tennawa Shirt Factory.
Doris Vincent, Admin. Assistant, Dean of Students Office
Lately I've been reading a number of travelogues and travel writing. Simon Winchester is among
the best writers in this genre, and his recent The Men Who United the States: America's
Explorers, Inventors, Eccentrics, and Mavericks, and the Creation of One Nation,
Indivisible, is very good, despite the ridiculous title. Winchester related the accomplishments
(and failures) of individuals whose work helped bring fifty far-flung states together. From wellknown people like Lewis and Clark, Thomas Edison, and Samuel Morse, to lesser lights who
worked to create the first geologic surveys of the US, nationwide public education, and the
interstate highway system. Winchester's books are always a fun read, and loaded with personal
anecdotes that add to the somewhat immersive quality his writing contains.
Even more immersive, is Tony Horwitz's book Blue Latitudes: Boldly Going Where Captain
Cook Has Gone Before. Horwitz traces the three voyages of Captain James Cook as he (often)
became the first European to encounter many of the islands across the southern and central
Pacific Ocean. I had no idea Cook traveled as far north as the Bering Sea, and nearly made it to
the coast of Antarctica.
Pat Webber, Director of Archives and Special Collections
I finally got around to reading something that has been on my "to read" list for a long time-- I
Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou.
Beth Whalon, Assistant in Instruction - Biochemistry
For your consideration , I submit two novels and two-thirds of an expected trilogy.
Americanah, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The Lowland, by Jhumpa Lahiri
The Last Policeman & Countdown City, both by Ben Winters; pre-apocalyptic police
procedurals, set in and around Concord NH.
Andrew White, Director of User Services, ILS
This year it’s about biography and remedying some deficiencies in my understanding of American
and European history. In particular, the three volumes of William Manchester’s biography of
Winston Churchill (The Last Lion, Winston Spencer Churchill) the first of which was published
in 1983, and the last finished and essentially written by Paul Reid in 2012; and two recent books
on Theodore Roosevelt (The Bully Pulpit : Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and
the Golden Age of journalism by Doris Kearns Goodwin and The Wilderness Warrior :
Theodore Roosevelt and the crusade for America by Douglas Brinkley). Roosevelt, who was
only 16 years older than Churchill and was one of the first authentic 20th century leaders, and
Churchill, though active in politics until the 1950s, perhaps the last Victorian. Both were prodigies,
stunning in their capacity to write, read, remember and accomplish things; with tremendous egos
and huge capacity for great good and spectacular folly. I wasn’t aware of Churchill’s penchant for
invention (like the tank), nor completely aware of Roosevelt’s shameless exercise of executive
power to accomplish his conservation goals. William Manchester’s narrative style is commanding,
engaging and erudite. Goodwin’s capacity to combine the personal and the formal sides of her
subjects’ lives shows through, as well as her ability to rescue a vivid image of the likes of Ida
Tarbell and William Howard Taft from their typically bland textbook renderings. Brinkley includes
a relentless chronicle of the creation of the national monuments and parks - park by park by
park. A lot of pages are involved here (over 4400 pages, or in audio book form, more than 200
hours), but well worth the ride.
Gene Wiemers, VP for Information and Library Services, Librarian
Reading time has been scarce recently. But I very much enjoyed Ian Rankin's Open Doors, a
mystery set in Edinburgh's art world.
Anne Williams, Professor Emerita of Economics
The Color of Rain: How Two Families Found Faith, Hope, and Love in the Midst of Tragedy
Paperback by Michael Spehn, Gina Kell Spehn
Endal by Allen and Sandra Parton
“The remarkable story of Endal, voted ‘Dog of the Millennium’, and how, through his remarkable
skills, companionship and unstinting devotion, he gave Allen Parton a reason to live again.”
Phyllis Wisher, Bookstore Stock Assistant